FATS: Part 2(The truth about low fat and fat free foods)

So I mentioned in my previous post how supermarkets and food makers are still marketing low fat and fat free items as a healthier alternative to higher fat products or foods with their natural fat content. If you are trying to lose weight and live a healthier lifestyle my advice would be to thread lightly when it comes to consuming products made with less calories because sugar or fat has been removed. Most whole foods should have some fat and some sugar in it. As I mentioned before fats are just as important in our diets as are protein and carbohydrates. The problem is usually the source of fat and how much we take in on a daily basis.

Low fat and fat free does not mean HEALTHY.

Fats are not bad for you, but fat free and low fat may be. The reason being we tend to over eat a particular food if we think it's healthier. When the whole concept of fat free diet came on the scene in the late 80s every one that wanted to lose weight jumped on the bandwagon. It was advertised to sound like as long as fat was missing the pounds would miraculously fall off. So we ate and ate only to find out years later that we were still indeed fat and gaining even more weight on top of what was already there. It happened because fats were replaced with sugars or as they like to call them carbohydrate additives. So instead of learning how to balance our daily food intake, we learned how to add more sugar to a diet that was already filled with refined carbohydrates (which is basically sugar in the form of a starch).

Next time you visit your local grocery store do a cross comparison. Compare the calorie content of a regular 8oz cup of yogurt to that of a fat free or low fat kind. Look at the ingredients, and the sugar contents. You will find that the two products are very similar in calorie content and that shouldn't be. Low fat or fat free should have a lot less calories than a regular cup of yogurt made with whole milk. That is not usually the case because the fat has been replaced with carbohydrates. Carbohydrates break down into sugar once digested and sugar amounts to calories. Empty calories. Another reason why these products are not the healthiest is, once you have altered a food you have also altered the nutrient content of that food. Removing fats from foods decrease the absorption of other nutrients. Nutrients like fat soluble vitamins, calcium and even protein all of which are important for proper functioning of our bodies systems.

Learn your foods, as consumers you should know what you are eating. One of the easiest ways to begin this process is to read food labels. Foods with all their natural ingredient and nutrients and have not been altered in any form are what we should all aim for.

FATS: Part 1

When it comes to healthy eating and the proper intake of fats the debate rages on. In the 90s the big trend was low fat and fat free and practically everyone trying to lose weight went for it. While browsing the supermarket the other day I realized that fat free and low fat items are still very prominent and are still being marketed to consumers as a healthier alternative to foods containing regular amounts of fats or higher fat content. Part one of this segment will focus on Fats and the importance of them in our diets. Part 2 will follow shortly and will focus on the truth about fat free and low fat foods.

Every thing we eat has some importance in our lives even FATS. It is when we are eating in excess that we encounter problems and ailments that debilitates us.
Fats are one of three nutrients used by the body as an energy source protein and carbohydrates are the other two. Fats are also important for the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins like vitamin A, D, E and K, and should comprise 20 to 30 percent of your daily dietary intake. Some health professionals will recommend as low as 10 to 15 percent.

What’s wrong with eating foods with its natural fat content? The answer is simple there is nothing wrong with eating foods that contain fats, but there is a problem with eating too many fats and eating too many of the wrong fats especially if you already have health problems associated with a high fat diet such as high cholesterol, heart disease and kidney disease among others. There are fats that are beneficial to your health and there are fats that are disadvantageous. For example trans-fats found in margarine, fast foods, deep fried and most process foods are said to raise total cholesterol and contribute to heart disease. Saturated fats found in dairy products, butter, heavy creams, meats and plant sources such as coconut and palm oil are high in cholesterol and can also contribute to heart disease.

Fats that are beneficial to your health are those found in foods such as coldwater fish, plant base oils that don’t thicken when cooled, nuts and seeds. Fats found in coldwater fish are known as Omega-3 fatty acids and they are prevalent in salmon, mackerel, herring flaxseeds and walnuts. Poly and Monounsaturated fats are two other fat source that offer health benefits and they are found in plant base oils such as olive oil, safflower oil, peanut oil, avocados, nuts and seeds. These fats promote heart health, and help maintain healthy cholesterol levels.

In your attempts to eat healthy you do not need to eliminate all fats from your diet. Use the healthier types in moderation along with a diet rich in fruits, vegetables and whole grains.

SUMMARY
Consume less than 10% of your fats from saturated fat sources and even less from trans-fat sources.
Keep total fat intake between 20 to 30% percent.
Try to consume less than 300mg of cholesterol daily (that’s about 1 and ½ egg scrambled)
Bake or grill meats instead of frying.
Choose healthy fats like olive oils, peanut oils and not plastic fats such as margarine
Limit dairy food intake to 3 servings daily (8oz of whole milk, 1oz cheese and a 8oz container of plain yogurt is approximately 3 servings and total 90.5mg of cholesterol for a whole day) lower if you choose the low fat versions of these foods.

Portion Size Vs. Serving Size

Portions and Servings can be confusing to the average person trying to change their eating habits and lose weight. On one hand the food pyramid says we should eat 6 servings(the same as 6oz) of carbohydrates(breads, rice, cereals, pasta etc) daily but it neglects to illustrate how much 6 servings actually is. A nutritionist will focus on how much is on your plate and tell you to eat smaller portions. A good nutritionist will demonstrate to you what an actual portion looks like. But, what if you have never seen the food pyramid or have never visited a nutritionist. How do you distinguish between a portion and a serving? The two terms are more similar than they are different because a portion is actually what makes up a serving. I will define both based on how they are used in relation to eating healthy.

A portion size is the amount of food that is on your plate. It is the amount of food that you will consume in one sitting.

A serving size is the recommended amount of food based on the food guide pyramid that you should consume throughout an entire day.

Both portions and servings help to determine how many calories, and nutrients, we consume daily and if followed properly portion sizes and serving sizes will help us maintain a healthy balanced diet.

Servings are easy to determine if we follow the food guide pyramid recommendations which can be found at www.mypyramid.gov. Once you know how many servings of a food you are to eat, knowing how much of that food takes some educating. The easiest way to figure out portions is to measure your foods. If you are unable to measure, knowing that 1/2 cup cooked rice, pasta, mash potato and hot cereals account for one serving of a starch (carbohydrate) can be beneficial. I often encourage clients to purchase measuring cups and begin measuring foods to get an idea of what a cup looks like or what a 1/2 cup looks like. Once you have the measurements down you can then begin to visualize and know when you have too much of one food or not enough of another on your plate.